


Natural Selection

by helsinkibaby



Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, F/M, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 08:35:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16783438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: When Ellie is missing, Gibbs has a talk with Nick.





	Natural Selection

**Author's Note:**

> For gen prompt bingo prompt “natural selection”. Bit of a reach but there you go.

“Torres!”

Gibbs doesn’t miss how Nick startles at the sound of his name, or how he’s evidently been staring at the picture on the view screen since Gibbs left for the director’s office. He’s spent a lot of the last twenty four hours staring at that screen, at Ellie’s ID photo staring back at him. Everyone has their own way of handling things when one of their own is missing, and Gibbs is the opposite to Nick. He hasn’t looked at that screen, that photo, once since it’s gone up. Neither has McGee, both of them focussing all their efforts on finding Ellie. 

But Nick can’t be involved in that and he can’t take his eyes off the screen. 

Except for when Gibbs calls him of course and even then Gibbs can tell it’s a struggle for him to focus. His usually cheerful face is pale and drawn, dark shadows under darker eyes and he looks like he’s aged ten years in a matter of hours. He stands slowly, not the spring in his step that he usually has and Gibbs stands in front of him, thrusts a cup of coffee into his hands. 

“Director wants me to send you home,” he says without preamble and while he wouldn’t have said it was actually possible, Nick’s face drops. 

“Gibbs, you can’t do that.” He sounds like he’s pleading for his life. For all Gibbs knows, he thinks he is. 

Actually Gibbs does know. That’s definitely what Nick thinks. 

“Look, I know you have to leave me on the bench for this, and I get that, I do. I don’t like it, but you’re right, ok? I can’t be in the field for this, I can’t think, I can’t...” He breaks off, clenches his jaw and visibly tries to get a hold on his emotions. Truth be told, Gibbs is actually impressed - time was, Nick Torres would have chaffed against being on the bench for any reason, especially this one. “I get that I can’t be involved. But I need to be here, Gibbs. I need to know what’s going on. If you send me home...” 

His eyes take on a pained expression and Gibbs is suddenly years in the past, walking into an empty house, an empty bedroom. His stomach turns and he swallows hard. Nick doesn’t notice though, too caught up in his own pain. “Please,” he says and he’s definitely begging now. 

“I asked the director if he was sure he wanted you somewhere where we couldn’t keep an eye on you. Know what you were doing.” Nick blinks in obvious surprise, then inclines his head, conceding the point. “You can stay.” Nick’s sigh of relief is enormous. “But you gotta do this by the book, Torres, you get me?” 

“I got you.” Nick’s eyes drift back to the big screen, to Ellie’s picture. 

“We’ll find her,” Gibbs hears himself saying. “Ellie’s one of the best agents I know. She’s tough, she’s smart. She knows we’re coming.” 

Nick’s lips twist. “You’re telling me natural selection will save her? I don’t think it works that way, Gibbs.” Gibbs shrugs, watches as he takes a sip of the coffee. He shudders as he swallows - Gibbs had made sure it was strong - and when he turns back to Gibbs, there’s something in his expression that Gibbs has never seen there. “Look, Gibbs, there’s something else. Something you need to know.” He takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly. “Something we were going to tell you-”

“Nick.” Gibbs cuts across him and he isn’t sure it’s that, or the use of his name, that stops him in his tracks. Gibbs looks right into his eyes, holds his gaze. “I know what it’s like,” he says softly, so no-one can overhear them. “To lose the woman you love. And your child. That’s not going to happen here.” 

The second he mentions the word child, Nick’s jaw drops. By the time Gibbs has finished, he’s staring at him, with eyes that are wide, and not a little glassy. “How did you-”

Gibbs actually grins. “It wasn’t hard, Nick. She turned down food.” 

A smile that’s half fond, half sad turns up Nick’s lips. “Yeah... morning sickness has been kicking her ass. She’s not too happy about that.” 

“It’s a good sign.” He remembers Shannon saying that, way back in the day, something about it meaning hormone levels were high, indicating a healthy pregnancy. He hadn’t exactly believed her at the time, being as she couldn’t keep water down, but when Kelly arrived - screaming, stubborn, beautiful - Shannon had lost no time in telling him that she’s been right. 

Nick lifts an eyebrow. “You want to tell Ellie that?” 

As soon as he realises what he’s said, his face falls again. Gibbs reaches out, lays a hand on his shoulder and squeezes. “Don’t worry,” he says. “I will.” 

*

He thinks of that conversation a day and a half later as he makes his way quietly through a hospital corridor. It’s the middle of the night and he’s stayed late making sure all the paperwork is filed correctly - this is one perp he doesn’t want to let off on a technicality. 

When he reaches the room at the end of the hall, he pushes the door open gently, peeks his head in. He doesn’t want to wake anyone up but he needn’t have worried. 

Ellie is still awake and her head turns to the door as it opens, a smile coming to her lips when she sees Gibbs. She beckons him to come in, raises the same finger to her lips to warn him to be quiet. Then she looks down and Gibbs tracks her gaze, smiles at what he sees. Nick is sitting on a chair beside Ellie’s bed and the last couple of days must have caught up with him because he’s fast asleep, cheek pillowed on Ellie’s hip. His hand is splayed across her stomach protectively and, as Gibbs watches, Ellie’s hand moves over his head, her fingers tangling in the fine hairs at the nape of his neck. 

“I don’t think he slept much the last few days,” she whispers to Gibbs. 

“Try at all.” Gibbs keeps his own voice low. “How are you, Bishop?” 

Ellie looks up at him and nods. “I’m ok.” At his look, she presses her lips together, inclines her head. “Well, not really. But I will be.” She glances back at Nick, runs her hand over his head again. Her other hand covers his on her stomach. “They did a sonogram. The baby’s fine...” Her voice cracks a little on that and Gibbs steps forward until he’s standing right beside the bed. He doesn’t sit in the second chair, though, stays standing. 

“Kid’s a Bishop. And a Torres,” he reminds her. “Bound to be the toughest thing I’ve ever seen.” A cross that’s between a giggle and a whimper passes Ellie’s lips. “Don’t envy you the teenage years though.” 

The quip has the desired effect of making Ellie’s shoulders relax. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to tell you properly... we were going to-”

Gibbs waves his hand. “We’ll talk about it when you’re better,” he says. “About work and what you can do and what you can’t... I think Nick’s going to have a pretty big roll of cotton wool he wants to wrap you up in...” Ellie opens her mouth to speak and he cuts her off. “And no, you can’t shoot him and I won’t shoot him for you. Work out your relationship problems in your own time.” 

Ellie grins. “Yes, Sir.” 

“And get some sleep.” It’s an order, not a suggestion. “You look like hell.” 

Again, she smiles but when her gaze flicks to the door, the smile falters and everything she thinks is written all over her face. 

“Why don’t I stay a while.” Once more, it’s not a question. He pulls out the chair, angles it so that when he sits he’ll be able to see the bed from one side, the door from the other. 

“You don’t-”

“Sleep, Bishop. We can talk in the morning.”

She evidently knows better than to argue with him when he uses that tone. Obediently she closes her eyes and she’s asleep in minutes. 

Gibbs stays awake the whole night, standing guard over his family. 

He wouldn’t have it any other way.


End file.
